Ryuichi Sakamoto - The Art of Film and Music
Who is Ryuichi Sakamoto and his impact on music & film? Let's find out.

Film music is one of the most inspiring and influential parts of the film industry. And without a doubt, Sakamoto is one of the musicians who has been a pioneer in this category. If you don't know him, it's time for you to stay and read this article.

Musichad had the magnificent privilege of being the medium of expression for artists such as Ryuichi. His human quality and talent in composition left a before and after in the music industry.

But, before talking about this wonderful musician, I will explain a little about what music and cinema mean. Music and cinema have been related for decades. The soundtracks and scores that are created to generate atmospheres within movies are pure art. Through music, we can put ourselves in a situation and feel identified. At the same time, music is also important in the theater. In any kind of show, it is necessary to have a musical setting to entertain the audience.

Now that you have some information about musicality in cinematographic works, it is time to introduce you to Ryuichi Sakamoto. He was born on January 17, 1952. From an early age, he became interested in political awareness, for that reason he joined one of the student movements that would mark his life, the protest against the Vietnam War and the administrative management of Japanese universities. While all these events were happening, a few years had already passed, until in 1975 Sakamoto made his professional debut in music.

He was still a student at the time, but his affinity for playing the piano allowed him to record an album for Tomobe Masato (composer and poet).

It is important to mention that Japan was a country that musically was not popular enough to attract the attention of Japanese teenagers who might like different kinds of music. Nevertheless, Sakamoto along with other musicians such as Tatsuro Yamashita and the members of Happy End, were responsible for the rise and development of Japanese pop.

Thanks to this, he had the opportunity to release his debut solo album "Thousand Knives" in 1978. But this would only be the beginning of his successful career as an artist.

At the same time, he founded (with one of his two best friends) one of the most important bands of the 80’s , Yellow Magic Orchestra. They were inspired by techno-pop and electronic music. It was at this moment when they started using synthesizers that allowed them to expand their creativity to unthinkable levels. From this moment on, Sakamoto began to discover the world of electronic music. In 1979 they were already a worldwide known band and used to have concerts in London, New York, Paris, and Los Angeles.

Yellow Magic Orchestra

Like all bands, Yellow Magic Orchestra did not last forever and came to an end in 1981. However, this allowed Sakamoto to pursue his projects and even become a radio broadcaster. Through that work, he encouraged listeners to make music while at the same time sharing information about different types of genres.

Sometime later, Ryuichi was already working on the musical composition for some films. One of them was “Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence� (1983) which won a lot of awards for musicality, and he even got an Oscar for “The Last Emperor� (1987)!

Other films featuring music scored by Ryuichi Sakamoto:

 Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights

• The Revenant
• Femme Fatale
• Snake Eyes

In the 90’s, Sakamoto was a musician admired by millions of people. Each of his melodies were simply incredible! One of the best examples of his compositions was the one he made for the Olympic Games in 1992. Sakamoto conducted the orchestra at the opening ceremony! You can probably see videos on the internet if you are interested.

Mr. Sakamoto's works were not only in movies or world events, he also worked in some TV commercials composing pieces. However, one of his most memorable and inspiring works has been done in conjunction with other artists. Some of them are Iggy Pop, Kit Fitzgerald, Paul Garrin, and David Sylvian.

If you are already in this section of the article and you haven't listened to anything by Ryuichi yet, please do it as soon as possible!

Here are some songs that are indispensable to hear, put on some headphones and enjoy!

• Riot in Lagos
• Germination
• Antinomy
• Composition 0919
• Before the war
• Batavia

Continuing with his life as a child, Ryuichi began composing his first scores when he was only 10 years old, and some people claim that he was a prodigy at the piano. Whether this is true or not, there is no doubt that he had a marvelous talent from an early age. Listening for the first time to any of his compositions is an experience that every human being should live at some point. Few artists have managed to endure in time while constantly evolving and reinventing themselves.

Sakamoto can also be considered one of the pioneers of electronic music thanks to the use of synthesizers. His compositions have inspired thousands of people to create music for video games and hip-hop samples. Music lovers even claim that he is one of the main references to synth-pop.

Although everything has been positive so far, the harsh reality is that Sakamoto suffered a lot in the last years of his life. Everything got complicated when in 2014  was diagnosed with throat cancer. And although he managed to recover several times, Ryuichi sadly passed away on March 28th of this year.

So, in 2023 we have lost one of the most important figures in music, a man who composed for passion, a man who to this day remains like an inspiration for millions of people of all ages. For this reason, this article functions as a way to celebrate his life, and the entire artistic journey that is part of the essence of Ryuichi Sakamoto.

If you enjoyed this article, please share it with others who might be interested in learning more about this legend. Is there another musician that you consider a pioneer of electronic music? Let us know!